Midtown Review, March 2025. Progress and next steps
As Oakville families get ready for March Break, we want to take a moment to update you on We Love Oakville’s (WLO) - Save Midtown Campaign, what’s been achieved, where things stand, and what lies ahead.
OK, there's a lot to review. You can skip to each section by clicking on the headline below:
Major Win: Town Council Approves Midtown Official Plan Amendment (OPA)
Growing Media Scrutiny on Flawed TOC Process
Where Do Oakville’s Leaders Stand?
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Major Win: Town Council Approves Midtown Official Plan Amendment (OPA)
On February 18, Oakville’s Town Council unanimously approved a new Official Plan Amendment (OPA) for Midtown Oakville, a 103-hectare area surrounding the Oakville GO station. This OPA lays the foundation for a high-density yet livable community, streamlines development approvals through a forthcoming Community Permit Planning System, and provides for a transparent exchange of density for community benefits.
The OPA has now been sent to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for final review and approval. While we await their decision, the Town will continue public consultation on how to implement the new policies, including the development of a Community Planning Permit By-law.
Why We Love Oakville Supports the OPA, Not The TOC
Infrastructure Ontario’s TOC proposal, released on November 14, 2024, seeks to jam 11 high-rise towers (44 to 58 stories) onto just 5 hectares of land, creating an unacceptable dense, poorly planned development with little to no community benefits.
The Town’s planning department conducted an in-depth analysis of the proposed TOC and concluded that:
“Overall, the TOC proposal appears as a private development proposal with very little to no community benefit for either the Town or the Province.”
The new OPA, on the other hand, focuses on building a livable community not people warehouses. In addition, the new OPA complies with both provincial growth requirements and Ontario’s Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) goals, providing a unique opportunity for the province to integrate the TOC with the Town’s OPA and terminate Infrastructure Ontario’s flawed TOC proposal. This would avoid the duplication, redundancy, and the unnecessary costs imposed by the ill-conceived TOC Proposal, while ensuring that planning decisions stay in Oakville, not Queen’s Park.
That’s why WLO has consistently opposed the TOC proposal through public meetings, formal submissions to government officials, and in an open letter to Oakville’s elected representatives.
Growing Media Scrutiny on Flawed TOC Process
On February 26, investigative reporter Sheila Wang of the Toronto Star published a story on Midtown, highlighting the problematic process behind the TOC proposal. This article reinforces what WLO has been saying all along: the TOC proposal is deeply flawed and does not serve Oakville’s interests.
Our thanks to Coronation Park RA for highlighting the following extracts from the article.
Ms Wang is the same reporter that released the story on the Transit Oriented Community problems in Richmond Hill several months ago, wherein residents groups were complaining of developer favouritism that was akin to the tactics used in the Greenbelt scandal.
As This Morning's Article Details ...
"For some, Midtown carries reminders of the Greenbelt scandal
Oakville council unanimously voted last month not to endorse the province’s proposal, which town staff say disregards the province’s own objectives of transit-oriented communities. The plan includes no provision for affordable housing units, and it’s silent on if or how the developers will contribute to any new infrastructure at the nearby Oakville GO station.
“Overall, the TOC proposal appears as a private development proposal with very little to no community benefit for either the town or the province,” Oakville planning staff told the province in a December 2024 letter.
For many in Oakville, the situation unfolding there is an unsettling echo of the Greenbelt scandal, where Ford government decisions disproportionately benefitting certain developers were foisted onto local communities."
Ms Wang's article includes information on Distrikt, the owners of the land involved in the Midtown TOC.
"From 2020 to 2024, Distrikt-affiliated companies spent more than $120 million buying the four plots of land, according to property records reviewed by the Star.
Emil Toma, Distrikt’s president is registered as a director for each of the corporations that own the land. One of those companies is Cross Realty, a joint-venture Toma has with developer Christopher Bratty.
Bratty and his wife were guests at the wedding of one of Premier Ford’s daughters in September 2022, according to a seating chart obtained by the Star. The premier had said the developer guests were “friends of the Ford family, and in some cases have been for decades,” according to the office of the integrity commissioner.
Bratty and Toma joined forces in 2023 to secure the last of the four land parcels. According to corporate records, Bratty is not a director of any of the companies that own the other three properties.
Distrikt has hired Amir Remtulla to lobby the Ontario government for intensification in Oakville’s Midtown area.
Remtulla worked as chief of staff to the late Rob Ford, the premier’s brother, from 2011 to 2012. The Star previously reported that Remtulla was hired to lobby the provincial government on behalf of developers including TACC Developments, headed by Silvio De Gasperis. De Gasperis was one of the landowners whose properties were to be removed from the Greenbelt before the plan was reversed. Remtulla’s lobbying was to be on issues related to “environment” and “housing”; his registration did not mention the Greenbelt.
Records show Remtulla had lobbied the provincial government on behalf of Distrikt with targets including premier Ford’s office, the ministry of infrastructure and housing minister’s office from 2022 to 2024. The lobbying goals, the records show, were “Intensification and future growth potential of the Oakville Midtown urban growth and major transit station area."
Does Ontario’s Midtown TOC Plan Meet its Own Objectives?
When Ford’s government passed the Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) Act in July 2020, it was intended to increase housing supply, create jobs, build complete communities, and offset the cost of station construction.
Ms Wang's article continues... "But the proposed condo development fails to meet these objectives, according to Oakville’s planning staff.
In a December 2024 letter to the ministry of infrastructure, staff pointed out that the current version of the proposal does not require affordable housing in any of the 11 planned towers. It also does not include sufficient space for retail office and commercial use, and the parkland will be insufficient for the number of residents.
“You can’t just plop 11 high story buildings on a couple of pieces of land and expect that to function over time. You need all the community centres, the parks, the libraries, the schools, the infrastructure,” said Doyle, an urban planner."
You can read the full article here, but the article requires a subscription. The Toronto Star is currently offering a six month subscription for $1.00.
Where Do Oakville’s Leaders Stand?
To hold our leaders accountable, WLO sent an open letter to Oakville’s political candidates, asking them to take a clear stance on three key questions:
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Will you and your party support the Town’s OPA that was approved on February 18, 2025?
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If elected, will you strongly advocate for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to swiftly approve and enforce the application of the OPA across all of Midtown, without any carve outs, exceptions or exemptions? and
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That you support either abandonment of the TOC initiative for Oakville or the alignment of the TOC in all respects with this OPA to ensure there is cohesive, consistent, and comprehensive planning for Midtown.
We also asked Mayor Rob Burton to respond to Questions 2 and 3.
We’re pleased to report that Mayor Burton, MPP Stephen Crawford, and candidate Alison Gohel all gave unequivocal support.
This is an important milestone: we now have a united front, our mayor, town council, and re-elected MPP Crawford are all on the same page. They are all committed to stopping the TOC and implementing the new OPA across all of Midtown without exception.
What’s Next?
While we’ve made great progress, the fight isn’t over. Here are our three key areas of focus, along with timelines and objectives:
1. Minister Approval Of The Official Plan Amendment
Timeframe: The Town has submitted the OPA to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing who has 120 days to approve the new OPA, which is roughly the end of June. This deadline can be extended by the Minister.
Objective: To persuade the Minister to approve the new OPA and mandate its application to all of Midtown.
2. Transit-Oriented Communities Proposal
Timeframe: no deadline for completion but the Mayor has said that Infrastructure Ontario could release a revised TOC proposal by the end of March.
Objective: to persuade Infrastructure Ontario to terminate the Midtown Oakville TOC and integrate its work into the Town’s OPA.
3. Community Planning Permit System By-law:
Timeframe: Following the Minister’s approval of the OPA, the Town has one year to develop and approve a CPPS by-law.
Objective: To review draft CPPS materials and provide input to Town staff, Ward 3 Councillors and Council, with a particular focus on the key issues raised in OPA delegations
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Your Voice Is Being Heard And Making a Difference
We want to thank everyone who has been part of this fight, your letters, emails, and engagement are working. The thousands of emails and text messages sent to Premier Ford, Minister Calandra, Minister Surma and MPP Crawford helped inform them of your concerns and put pressure on decision-makers. And we may need to do this again.
We need to keep pushing every lever we can to secure approval of the OPA, stop the TOC, and ensure the best possible planning for Midtown’s future. If you have thoughts, ideas, and suggestions on what we should be doing – please let us know and help us achieve these objectives.
Enjoy your March Break, and let’s come back ready to finish the job of Saving Midtown!
DRAFT Midtown Offical Plan Amendment
The Town of Oakville has published the NEW Draft Official Plan Amendment for review and feedback. More details on the Town Website here.
Two separate programs are underway which affect the planning and future of Midtown. The first (left) is the provincial Transit Oriented Communities Program (TOC), announced last year. The second (right) is the Town development of a new Official Plan Amendment (OPA) for Midtown, which has been active for several months.
The Latest Facts
Midtown is the area around the Go Station, South of the QEW, North of Cornwall Road, and between Sixteen Mile Creek and Chartwell Road.
It is 65 hectares (a hectare is about the size of a rugby pitch) of developable land.
On February 18th, 2025, Oakville Council unanimously approved the OPA (Official Plan Amendment) for Midtown.
The OPA is the result of careful, professional planning for the entirety of Midtown, after extensive input from independent experts, discussion with developers and landowners, and input from the public.
The OPA, if built to maximum planned density, is at the very limit of what is liveable. It is the equivalent of the densest part of Manhattan being built in the small space sandwiched between the highway and the railway and divided in two by a six lane arterial road. This is very high density in Midtown, more than we would ideally want to see, but we support it as the maximum possible to provide high density housing while still enabling a liveable community.
The OPA is integrated with planning for roads and infrastructure, and includes provisions for parks, schools and other community benefits that support a liveable community. It will be implemented via a CPPS (Community Panning Permit System) which, if well structured, will enable provision of key components of liveability, and key elements of inclusionary zoning and affordable housing.
But the OPA is under threat. The Ministry of Infrastructure Ontario (MIO) has proposed a Transit Oriented Community (TOC) for 5 hectares opposite the Go stations that proposes extreme, hyper-density; three times more than the most densely populated area in the world, 20 times more than is required by the Province. The Province can override Oakville Council and impose this TOC, despite the unanimous opposition to the TOC by Oakville Council.
The Province’s TOC proposal threatens the OPA. By proposing massive hyper-density in one small part of Midtown, it would essentially destroy any hope we have of the town being able to create a liveable community in all of Midtown.
On January 27th, 2025, Oakville Council unanimously voted to oppose the TOC proposal.
We Love Oakville fully supports this OPA as it satisfies both provincial requirements and Ontario’s Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) goals. This enables the province to achieve Infrastructure Ontario’s Oakville TOC objectives by approving and enforcing the OPA for all Midtown, thereby eliminating duplication, redundancy and unnecessary costs. Importantly, it keeps control of Midtown’s planning where it belongs: with the Town of Oakville, not Queen’s Park.
The Town’s Mayor, Council, planning department, WLO, and the public all reject the province’s TOC proposal, which is not just unacceptable but undermines local decision-making.
Our key issue now is to establish the OPA as the plan for Midtown without exceptions or “carve-outs” for the TOC proposal. The TOC must not be allowed to proceed.
Why Midtown Matters
Get the information, support and facts you need
HEAR THE DISCUSSIONS
The Robcast is a podcast for those who live, work and do business in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. Midtown has been a HOT TOPIC and we encourage you to watch these videos to hear the debate and discussion.
Sponsored by Ward 3 Councilors Gittings & Haslett-Theall, we consider this site a must-read, offering a comprehensive and current view of the issue.
